Phi Beta Kappa elects 69 members

May 7, 2014

The Brandeis chapter of Phi Beta Kappa has elected 62 new members from the class of 2014 and seven from the class of 2015.

Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honors organization in the United States. Founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776, its high and rigorous standards of excellence have made election to it one of the highest academic honors an undergraduate at a college in the United States can receive.

Brandeis established a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 1961. This earned Brandeis the distinction of achieving the quickest chapter chartering in relation to an institution’s founding.

Selection for membership in Phi Beta Kappa is based on the quality of the candidate’s academic record, the breadth of their academic interest beyond their concentration, and the opinions of the faculty and senior administrators concerning the scholarly achievements and character of the candidate.

The initiation ceremony will be held Saturday, May 17, 1:30 pm, on the Spingold Theater Center Main Stage and will feature a talk by Joyce Antler, the Samuel B. Lane Professor of American Jewish History and Culture and professor of women’s and gender studies. A reception will follow for new Phi Beta Kappa members and their families and friends.